Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!
by Scaehime
Summary: I was on my way to the library to watch Bleach when I saw Ichigo in his shinigami form. I followed him back to his body and was shocked by all the cuts and bruises! Where is Kon? And why is my necklace glowing? Non-romance. Story image is my friend's rendition of Jesa-chappy with an orange Zangetsu. Jesa's OC profile on mine. Irregular updates.
1. Hey, there's Ichigo!

Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!

Chapter 1: Hey, there's Ichigo!

I was on my way to the library to watch Bleach online when it happened. I saw Kurosaki Ichigo in the, well, not the flesh, I guess, but I still saw him for real. You might be wondering at this point if I'm some Mary Sue author-insert who can see spirits. If so, you're two-thirds right. Yes, I'm an author insert, and, yes, I can see spirits, but, no, I'm not a Mary Sue. And if I start to become one, please let me know without flaming me.

So, where was I? Oh, yeah, I saw Ichigo. He was on his way back to his body, I guessed, judging by the relaxed air he had in his reiatsu. When we got to the back alley where he'd left his physical form, we were in for quite a shock. With all those cuts and bruises, it looked like Ichigo had allowed Zaraki-taichou a free-for-all on him!

I did what any sane person would do: I screamed. "What- how- who- who could have done this?" I cried in shock. "Okay, Jesa, don't panic. Don't. Panic. It's just his body. He's standing here right beside you, most likely just as shocked as you are."

I'm guessing that little self-pep-talk is what clued him into the fact that I could see him in his shinigami form. "What the...? Y-you can see me?" the shinigami-daiko yelled in understandable shock. "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Jones Jesa," I said, using the Japanese convention of putting the family name first, even though I was born and raised in America. "But isn't taking care of your body a _little_ more important right now? I'm sure this is nothing too hard for Orihime to take care of."

"How do you know about Inoue?" he asked, his usual scowl deepening slightly.

"I'll tell you later, I promise. And where's Kon, anyway?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know whether to be relieved or worried that you know about that creep. He's probably off sleeping or doing something else I'd rather not know about." He shook his head, probably trying to get rid of some unwanted mental image.

"I agree, knowing what he's like..." I trailed off, trying to avoid thinking about what Kon might really be doing. "Now, shoo, shoo. Go find Orihime."

Ichigo gave me a long, hard stare, like he was debating whether he could trust me. Or maybe he was trying to be intimidating, having just been told what to do by a girl he just met. When he either made his decision or realized I wasn't fazed, he mumbled, "Yeah. Just, ah, um..."

"Keep away any people being too nosy for their own good?" I suggested with a small smile.

"...Right."

As I watched him dash off, more like disappear with shunpo, I thought to myself, _What have I gotten myself into now?_

* * *

A/N: If you have questions, let me know via review or pm, and I'd be happy to answer.

Thanks to my betas, Apocalyxtic98 and Snowy12345679, for all their help.


	2. What's up with my necklace?

Previously on _Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

Ichigo and Jesa discover that Ichigo's body has been beaten to a pulp. Jesa offers to stand guard while Ichigo dashes off to find Orihime.

* * *

Chapter 2: What's up with my necklace?

"Ah, there you are! What took you so long?" I asked Ichigo, who had just returned with Orihime.

"Well, Inoue was with Tatsuki, so..." he began.

"So you had to figure out how to get Orihime away without revealing your secret to Tatsuki?" I concluded, interrupting Ichigo. _Not that she doesn't already know _something's_ up anyway... _I added in my thoughts.

"Yeah. So, care to tell me how _you_ know about my 'secret'?" Ichigo asked. "I'm guessing you know what I could do to you if you don't keep your promise." His glare nearly paralyzed me.

I raised my hands in the universal gesture for 'calm down'. "Hey, hey, don't get so worked up that Shirosaki can take control! I won't go back on my promise." I put a hand to my chin in thought. _Hm... I don't want to freak him out, so... Ah, that'll work! ...I hope._ "Ichigo-san, you have a lot of fans online. I doubt many of them think you're real, though. I wouldn't have even believed it until I saw you today."

"Really?" Ichigo said flatly. "I'm having trouble believing this. Alright, if you're telling the truth, then you'd be able to describe something of mine that I've never told anyone about."

"Would a description of your inner world suffice?" I asked.

He paused, perhaps asking Shiro and Zangetsu, his inner hollow and zanpakuto respectively, if they'd ever told anyone else those details. "Perhaps. Depends on the description."

"Alright, how 'bout this? Your inner world is full of sideways skyscrapers. Oh, and when you get, well, moody, it rains in your inner world, so Zangetsu tries to keep you from getting depressed 'cause he doesn't like the rain. Good enough?"

"Actually, just the bit about the skyscrapers would have been fine. So, what else is there about me online?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"There's a really long anime, and an even _longer_ manga, and a wiki devoted specifically to stuff about your show. Oh, and there are full-length movies, too."

"You mean there are stories about our adventures online?" Orihime asked excitedly, looking up from the healing barrier she'd put around Ichigo's body. "Do they ever feature my insane cooking skills?"

"Uh, yeah. Your _insane_ skills," I said as tonelessly as possible. _Wow, she really _is_ as clueless about what others think of her cooking as she's portrayed! Hm. I'd better figure out how the rest of the manga and anime line up with the real thing._

"So, Ichigo-san," I said conversationally. "Does the term 'Bount' mean anything to you?"

"Yeah. I'm guessing that was included in those stories?"

"Well, it was in the anime, but not the manga."

"Manga?" a new voice queried. "About Ichigo? I'd better be in it."

"Rukia-chan!" I glomped one of my favorite female Bleach characters. "It's so cool to be able to meet you in real life!" I released her from the tackle-hug as I realized I hadn't answered her question. "Oh, yeah, the manga. Yup, you're in it. It actually starts off with the day you and Ichigo met. Bleach is one of my favorites."

"Bleach? Why's it called that?" Rukia interrogated.

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't get it either, at first. Apparently, it's because the author, Kubo Tite, thought that since bleach is white, it would suggest black, the signature shinigami color. Before I knew the 'official' reason, though," I went on, putting air quotes around 'official', "I thought it might have been because people used to accuse you of bleaching your hair, Ichigo-san, or because you two meeting, Rukia-san and Ichigo-san, caused a breach between the Living World and the Soul Society, combined with the Japanese equivalence of English L and R sounds."

I returned my attention to Ichigo. "So, what about 'Grimmkitty'? That ring any bells?"

"Grimmkitty?" Ichigo laughed mockingly. "Ha, it suits him, considering how easily I beat him."

"And how about 'Ulquibat'?"

"Ulquiorra's released form is a bat?" Rukia guessed.

"So I've heard... It might just be fan speculation, though." _Alright. Now I know where we are in the plot-line. Seems like the Amagai and Lurichiyo arc should be next. Although, considering that Ichigo's body being beaten up without him or Kon in it never happened at this point in the anime, I doubt the rest will stay the same as before._

"Kurosaki-kun, your body's healed now," Orihime called.

"Healed? What happened?" Rukia asked, looking at me suspiciously.

"Dunno," Ichigo answered. "After I finished taking down a minor hollow, I came back here and found it like this. Jesa here kept watch while I left to find Inoue."

"Do we have any leads as to who might have done it?" asked Rukia. Fortunately, it seemed Ichigo's response took me off her suspect list. I guess it's because she trusted his judgment in trusting me.

"Maybe Voldemort?" I suggested. "Wait, no, he's dead. Oh, maybe Bowser? Nah, that's just silly."

"Who are they?" Rukia asked. "Voldemort? Bowser?"

"Eh, Voldy's the big bad of the Harry Potter novels, and Bowser's more of a comic relief villain than anyone to actually _worry_ about in the Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door video game. Kinda like the Box Ghost in Danny Phantom, a TV show I used to watch in America, back before we moved to Karakura when Dad's job transferred him here. Huh. I never really noticed it before, Ichigo-san, but you're kinda like Danny as far as how your powers work. When he 'goes ghost,' he has a lot better control over his powers, and you can use Zangetsu when you 'go shinigami.' But you're cooler, Ichigo-san. You _chose_ to get your powers to protect your family, but Danny gets his completely by accident. Hey, I wonder if I have any powers..."

"I don't suppose you'd consider 'talking people to death' anything special, now would you?" another new voice asked.

"What are you doing here, Ishida?" I huffed, not too happy about his superior attitude.

"Looking for you, actually."

"Me? Why?" I asked, somewhere between suspicious and curious.

"Your reiatsu's been fluctuating for the past hour or so. I noticed a new reiatsu signature about a week ago, similar to Kurosaki's before he became a shinigami-"

"Which makes sense," I interrupted, "because I moved here about a week ago, and I've been able to see spirits for a long time. Oops, sorry, I'm still working on breaking that bad habit of interrupting people. Carry on."

"Thank you." I could almost taste the sarcasm. "And thanks for confirming my theory, by the way. Now, about an hour ago, as I mentioned, your reiatsu had a marked change in it. However, I noticed Kurosaki's reiatsu near yours, so I didn't bother investigating. Then, about half an hour ago, it changed again, soon after Inoue-san showed up. And just a few minutes ago, when Kuchiki-san arrived, it changed yet again."

"So you came by to see if it would change on your arrival, right?"

"Correct," he said tersely.

"And...?" I prompted, when it seemed he wasn't about to continue.

"The change is there, but it's not quite as pronounced."

_Was that jealousy in his voice?_ I thought.

"Heh, I bet Kurotsuchi would _love_ to get his hands on you, eh, Jesa?" Ichigo laughed.

"Oh, don't you _dare_ tell that maniacal scientist about me! At least not until I know I can defend myself from him!" I shouted, eyes widening in anger and fear.

"Jesa-chan, your necklace is glowing!" Orihime said. "It's such a pretty shade of blue."

"Huh? So it is," I said, holding up the cross charm so I could see it better. "Hey, don't your hairpins glow when you use Shun-shun Rikka, Orihime-chan? Oh, lightbulb! Didn't your and Chad's powers develop after being around Ichigo's massive reiatsu for a while? Maybe, since you four all have well-trained powers, mine suddenly got a jump-start! Aaand I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

"Yes. Yes, you are," Ishida deadpanned.

"It was a rhetorical question, Ishida!" I groaned, acutely annoyed for some reason.

"Hey, Jesa-chan," Orihime said. "It's glowing again."

"But this time, it's orange." Rukia added. "Strange."

* * *

A/N: Thanks to my betas, Apocalyxtic98 and Snowy12345679, for all their help.

Reviews are always appreciated, but I'm not going to beg for them.


	3. Powers and Cats: Teaser Chapter

Previously on _Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

Ichigo returns with Orihime. Rukia shows up when Jesa mentions manga, which leads to Jesa telling them a bit about their fanbase. Ishida shows up after noticing the fluctuations in Jesa's reiatsu. Jesa gets annoyed with Ichigo and Ishida, followed by her necklace glowing.

* * *

Chapter 3: Powers and Cats: Teaser Chapter

"So, when you were annoyed with Kurosaki-san, it glowed a sky-blue, and with Ishida-san, it was orange?" Urahara summarized.

I nodded. I had suggested coming to his shop after the orange glow dissipated.

_**Flashback:**_

_"Why would you _want_ to go to Hat-n-clogs?" Ichigo asked incredulously._

_"Because, one, he's helped you guys multiple times in the past. Two, he's incredibly intelligent. And, three, Yoruichi-san's probably there. What? I love cats, and I've always thought being able to become one at will would be cool," I replied._

_**End Flashback.**_

"Did I hear I have a new fan?" a deep voice called from the windowsill.

"Yoruichi-san! You're lucky I know who you are. Otherwise, Chad's love of all things cute wouldn't even _begin_ to compare to the huggling you'd be getting right now," I said with a wry smile.

"And yet you glomped me," Rukia mumbled. "Why does _she_ get different treatment?"

"Because I'd rather not be huggling a cat one minute, and..." At this point, I started to mumble in embarrassment. "...and a woman about as well-endowed as I am the next..." I trailed off, blushing a bit. It's true. I have a huge chest. I'm just glad I haven't had guys hitting on me left and right. The one time I do remember it happening, well, let's just say I still shudder, thinking about it, and I'm glad it hasn't happened since. "So. Moving on, Urahara-san, any ideas about why my necklace glowed?"

"Yes, I do have some ideas, but confirming them would require some tests," he replied, whipping out that fan of his.

"These 'tests' wouldn't be like what you did to me so I could get my powers back, would they?" Ichigo interjected, living up to his name/role as The One Protector.

"Oh, nothing like that, I assure you," Urahara said, trying to be suave.

"Then what _would_ they be like?" I asked.

"Just placing you into various situations and observing what happens," he not-answered.

"Why do you have to be so infuriatingly vague?!" I nearly shouted, followed by a sigh as I forced down the anger I could feel simmering in my heart. "What would these 'tests' be like? Just give me a straight answer. Please?" I started sliding the charm on my necklace back and forth as I awaited his answer._  
_

Eventually, Urahara replied, but without his usual lightheartedness. "I can't tell you."

* * *

A/N: Thanks to my betas, Apocalyxtic98 and Snowy12345679, for all their help.

Reviews are always appreciated, but I won't beg for them.


	4. Powers and Cats

Previously on _Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

"I can't tell you." That was Urahara's response to Jesa wanting to know about the 'tests' he had in mind concerning his theories about Jesa's powers.

* * *

Chapter 4: Powers and Cats

"What?!" I shouted. "Why the heck _not_?" My anger was back, full force, and I accidentally pulled on the charm so hard the necklace snapped off my neck. Only it wasn't a cross charm anymore. It looked more like a mini orange version of Zangetsu. Same shape and style, but my height (about 5') instead of Ichigo's (about 5'9"), and instead of the white cloth at the handle and the silver edge of the blade, they were the same color and shade as Ichigo's hair.

Anger forgotten momentarily, I just stood there in silent shock.

"That's why." Urahara's light tone was back. "If I had told you that you'd have to be forced into feeling extreme anger or fear to test my theory, it wouldn't have worked."

I let out an annoyed sigh and rolled my eyes. I could see the truth in his words, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

"So what is this theory of yours, Urahara-san?" I asked, deciding to focus on learning what I could about my newfound powers instead of whining about Urahara's typical MO.

"Empathy, Jesa-chan. _That_ is your power, I believe." Urahara answered.

"You mean, feeling others' emotions as one's own?" I clarified.

The self-declared 'humble shopkeeper' nodded.

"But... But how does that explain this?" I asked, holding up mini-Zangetsu, which had at some point returned to being my cross charm without my noticing.

"Tell me, Jesa-chan, what were you feeling just before your charm morphed?" he said, answering my question with one of his own.

"Uh, well, really angry, and worried, too."

"And you, Kurosaki-san?"

"About the same, I think, but why would that matter?" Ichigo said, his scowl lessening slightly out of a strange mix of curiosity and confusion.

"Oh, Ichigo, you are _so_ dense!" I facepalmed, having already made the connection Urahara was hinting at. "One, Zangetsu is your zanpakuto. Two, my power is empathy. Three, empathy is feeling another's emotions as one's own. Do you get it, or need I be more explicit?"

He glared at me. I was about to go into greater detail when Rukia asked Urahara for a notepad and some markers. I knew what was coming up, and I figured it would be the perfect opportunity for me to test a theory of my own.

I tried to keep my snickers to a minimum as Rukia made her sketches. The first one was of a bunny with spiky orange hair and brown eyes, wielding a giant meat cleaver. The second was of a bunny with short brown hair and glasses, wearing a cross necklace, with a thought bubble of Ichigo-chappy in various moods. The third depicted Jesa-chappy with a thought bubble of Ichigo-chappy with his giant meat cleaver. Sorry, I mean with Zangetsu. The fourth and final sketch had Jesa-chappy wielding an orange miniature version of Zangetsu.

"Any more questions?" Rukia asked.

"Just one. Why are you still trying to draw those crappy Chappies?" Ichigo answered, and that was my cue.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" I called. And my cross charm morphed to look just like Rukia's shikai. "Wow, she really _is_ beautiful, Rukia."

"_Thank you, Jesa-san. But could you please tell me how I am now in your inner world instead of Rukia's?_" a voice asked in my mind.

Guessing at who was speaking, I answered, "_Oops, sorry, Sode-san. That was _not_ intentional._"

"Baka!" Rukia shouted in rage and worry. "Where's Sode no Shirayuki?!"

"Isn't that what she's holding, Kuchiki-san?" Orihime asked. "That sword in her left hand?"

"Orihime-san, I don't think that's what Rukia-san is referring to." I turned to Sode no Shirayuki's proper wielder. "Sode-san is in my inner world. I promise you, I had no idea this would happen. Perhaps if you took the sword she'll return to where she belongs?"

I held the sword out for Rukia to claim. As soon as her hand grasped the hilt, a relieved smile appeared on Rukia's face and the sword morphed back into my cross charm. "Is she back with you?" I asked.

"Yes. So, tell me. What _was_ your intent for calling my zanpakuto's release phrase?"

"I just wondered what would happen. I knew you would be annoyed with Ichigo-san's inevitable comment about your drawings, so I just... reached out with my reiatsu and latched onto that annoyance to see if I could use your powers as my own, like when the orange Zangetsu appeared. I sincerely apologize, to you and to Sode-san."

"Apology accepted, Jones-san," Rukia replied.

"Jesa, please. 'Jones-san' is too formal," I said, smiling.

I glanced out the window and noticed how pretty the starscape was in Karakura. Wait, stars? "Ah, crap," I said, the very model of eloquence. "I'd better be getting home soon. Mom's not gonna be very happy at how late I stayed out. Unfortunately, I can't remember how to get back..."

"That's okay," Urahara said brightly. "Kurosaki-san can just help you find your way back."

"What? No way!" Ichigo said, arms crossed in front of him, reminding me of when he was trying to refuse to do Rukia's job early on in the series.

"So impolite, although I suppose that's to be expected from Kurosaki-san." Ishida held out a hand to Orihime. "Would you like me to walk you home, Inoue-san?"

"Uh-um, s-sure, thanks, Ishida-kun," Orihime said, taking his hand. "See you at school tomorrow, Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san. Bye, Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san, Jesa-chan."

After the chorus of goodbyes, my attention was brought back to the fact that I didn't know how to get back to my own house. "Hm. I know there was a family-" I started laughing when I made the connection. "Lightbulb! I _thought_ that clinic looked familiar! I can just follow you, Ichigo! And don't you have to get home soon, too? That uber-early curfew?"

Ichigo groaned. "Come on, then. Better get going."

"Um, Yoruichi-san, before I go, could- could I-" I tentatively reached a hand out to her.

"You want to 'huggle' me, right?" the black cat finished. I nodded. "Alright, but just this once," she conceded, sounding a bit like a mom giving in to her child's pestering. That didn't lessen my enthusiasm and gratitude any, though.

"Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou!" I cheered as I scooped her up off the floor. After about a minute or so, I whispered, "I miss them. So much."

"Miss who?" Ichigo asked.

"My cats. We couldn't bring them with us when we moved here, so we had to leave them with a friend of mine." I blinked back the tears that were starting to form. "One of them looks just like you, Yoruichi-san. At least you don't drool, like Brea." That thought put a small smile on my face, but it also let the tears break free.

After a couple more minutes of huggling and crying about how much I missed Raya and Brea, I released Yoruichi from my vice-like grip. "Thank you, Yoruichi-san. I really appreciate you letting me do that."

"Sure." Even though she was in her cat form, I could tell Yoruichi was smiling. "Now get out of here before my fur gets even more wet than it already is." She swatted my arm playfully.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to my betas, Apocalyxtic98 and Snowy12345679, for all their help.

Reviews are always appreciated, but I won't beg for them.


	5. First Day at Karakura High

Previously on _Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

Urahara explains that Jesa's power is empathy, feeling others' emotions as one's own. Rukia gives Ichigo a Chappy-based explanation. At Ichigo's inevitable comment about Rukia's artistic abilities, Jesa latches onto Rukia's annoyance and calls out Sode no Shirayuki's release phrase. Sode is transferred to Jesa's inner world, to their and Rukia's distress. Sode goes back to Rukia's inner world when Rukia takes a hold of Jesa's charm, which morphed into a duplicate of Rukia's zanpakuto. Jesa notices how late it is and realizes that her family moved into the formerly abandoned house near the Kurosaki Clinic. After getting permission to 'huggle' Yoruichi, Jesa starts crying over how much she misses her cats, whom she had to leave with a friend in America.

* * *

Chapter 5: First Day at Karakura High

"I'm home!" Ichigo called. Rukia had already snuck into Ichigo's room through the window.

"Ichigo! You know we always have dinner as a family at seven! Why are you so late?" Isshin yelled, trying to land a punch on Ichigo.

"Um, that would be my fault, sir," I said from the doorway.

"Jesa, why are you still standing there?" Ichigo asked, simultaneously dodging a kick.

Isshin looked over at me. "Yes, yes, why _are_ you still standing there? Come in, come in!" Aside to Ichigo, he wiggled his eyebrows and added, "First name basis already, Ichigo? Nice."

I facepalmed. "I shoulda known something like this would happen..." I mumbled. "Kurosaki-san, sorry to disappoint you," _Not really..._ "But Ichigo and I are just friends. There is absolutely _no_ romantic attraction between us, and I'm not your 'third daughter' or whatever. Ichigo was just walking me home since I'm still learning my way around Karakura, and my family moved into the formerly abandoned house nearby. I'd appreciate it if you refrained from suggesting anything to the contrary. I really must get home now. Bye, Yuzu-chan, Karin-chan. See ya 'round, Ichigo."

* * *

"Jesa! Time to get up. It's your first day at your new school!" Mom called up the stairs.

"Right, thanks, Mom! I'm getting up," I called back. _I wish she hadn't woken me up. I was in the middle of an awesome dream..._

While Mom and I were eating breakfast, I started telling her about that crazy-cool dream she pulled me from.

"-And then, after Ichigo commented about the 'crappy Chappies,' as I knew he would, I called on Rukia's sword, and there it was in my hand."

Ding-dong! interrupted the doorbell.

"I'll get it, Mom. I'm about to head out, anyway. Love you. Bye."

"Bye, Jesa, love you, too."

* * *

After I grabbed my backpack from its place by the front steps, I opened the door and saw the boy of my dream.

Which, apparently, _wasn't_ a dream. I reached out and poked him on the arm. Solid.

"You're real. You're really _real_. It _wasn't_ a dream..."

"Ichigo," Rukia began. She had been standing behind him. "Did she act like this yesterday?"

"Nope."

"So why is she now?"

"No idea. Why don't you ask her?"

"Well, Jesa-chan?"

"Uh... because... I was... too focused on how cool it was to think about whether it was really happening? I dunno, really." I shrugged. "So, why don't you guys tell me what Karakura High is like while we're walking?"

* * *

"Hi, Orihime-chan! How ya doing?" I said as I walked into the classroom.

"Jesa-chan? What are you doing here?" she asked, looking up from her cross-stitch of... was that a robot?*

"Chatting with friends while waiting for class to start, same as you," I answered matter-of-factly. "I was going to request that I be placed in your class, since being around people I already know would help my transition into the school system, but that's not gonna be necessary, since I was placed in here anyway. So, Orihime-chan, who's standing behind me?"

"That's Sado-kun. Sado-kun, this is Jesa-chan. She recently moved to Karakura," Orihime said brightly, confirming what I had thought based on what I knew about reiatsu and how Sado's powers had been described.

"Hi, Sado-san. As Orihime-chan said, I'm Jesa. Pleased to meet you," I said, turning around and nodding my head in greeting. He just mirrored my nod, but I was fine with that. Sado's a man of few words.

"Shh, class is starting," Ishida hissed back at us.

* * *

"Ah, lunchtime! Finally!" Orihime cheered. "Jesa-chan, want to join us on the rooftop?"

"Sure, I'd love to. Thanks."

* * *

Ichigo, Orihime, Ishida, Sado, Rukia, and I were all munching on our individual lunches. Suddenly, the door flew open with a bang.

"Ichigooo~, how do you always get the pretty transfer girls right away?" whined the voice of the boy who had just arrived.

I could tell Ichigo was annoyed at Keigo's interruption. "I'll handle it," I told him. "Asano Keigo, right? I'm Jones Jesa. My family recent moved into the old house near Ichigo-kun's. ...Wait, did you call me pretty?"

"Why, yes, I did. And I meant it, too," Keigo said.

"Uh, thanks, I guess."_ Hasn't anyone ever told him not all girls care about their looks?_ I thought in annoyance.

"And that necklace is absolutely lovely. How do you get it to glow like that?"

"Well, lately, it's only been glowing when I've been either very annoyed or very angry," I replied, switching from a fake-sweet tone to a stern one part way through.

I could practically hear him thinking, 'Backpedal, backpedal, backpedal!' Although, that might have just been my empathy. I smiled at the reminder that, yes, I, Jesa Jones, did have powers.

And that started me wondering if Keigo, Mizuiro, and Tatsuki could get powers as easily as I had. I mean, they had known Ichigo a lot longer than I had, so it seemed possible. "Asano-san," I began. "Would you mind finding Arisawa-san and Kojima-san and asking them to come up here? There's something important I'd like to discuss with all of you." I gestured towards the whole group.

"Anything for you, my dear," Keigo replied. So much for not having many guys hit on me.

After Keigo left, Ichigo scowled at me. "Why are you bringing them into this? I left them out of the loop to protect them."

I sighed and started rubbing my forehead. "You know the phrase 'what you don't know can't hurt you'? Not always true." I leaned back against the wall behind me. "Remember when I mentioned 'Ulquibat'? It's not just fan speculation. That fight you had with Grimmjow, Ichigo? In the manga, that wasn't the last of the fights with the Espada. In the anime, they cut to a filler arc involving the Kasumi-Ooji clan, which didn't make much sense, because when that finished, they just jumped right back into the Hueco Mundo stuff without hardly any segway. Anywho, in the manga, Aizen takes the fight to Soul Society and-"

"Jesa-chan~!" Keigo interrupted as he returned, followed by Tatsuki and Mizuiro. "I'm back!"

"I can see that, Asano-san," I replied, only using formality because I know it annoys him when Mizuiro does it. In my usual, casual manner, I greeted the other two. "Hi, Tatsuki-chan, Mizuiro-kun. I'm Jones Jesa. Feel free to call me by my first name. ...I mean my given name. I moved here from America recently, and I'm still getting used to calling it something other than my first name," I explained. "Did Asano-san tell you why he wanted you to come up here?"

Tatsuki answered. "He mentioned a new friend of Ichigo's having something important to tell us, but that's it. You're the new friend, I take it?"

I nodded. "Mmhmm. But before I tell anything, I have a question for you three. Have you ever seen Ichigo wearing a black outfit that looks like it came out of the feudal period?"

"Actually, yeah, I have, and he usually has this huge sword with him, too," Tatsuki said, staring at Ichigo in suspicion.

"I could see him in a black outfit, but I couldn't quite make out the style," Mizuiro answered.

Keigo's answer was similar to Tatsuki's.

I turned to Ichigo. "See, Ichigo? They were already involved, so your attempts to 'keep them out of the loop to protect them', as you called it, weren't going to work."

"Jones-san," Ishida said to me, "I have a question for you."

"Well, Ishida, I _might_ have an answer," I replied. My brother, three years younger than I, and thus still in middle school, hates it when I make those kinds of jokes, but whatever. He's not here.

Apparently, Ishida doesn't like them either. "I hope you do, for your own sake-"

"I won't know, though, until I've heard the question, now will I?" I countered.

"Ahem, as I was saying, before I was _interrupted_," Ishida continued, now staring at me. I lowered my head contritely, and he continued, "How can you prove we can trust you?"

"Oh, is that all you wanted to know?" I perked back up. "That's simple. A person's inner world represents who they really are, right? And since I can be quite literal-minded, -ha, literal _minded_- never mind-" I rolled my eyes as I accidentally used 'mind' a third time. "Anywho, my inner world should have some kind of definitive proof that you guys can trust me."

"That's great in theory, Jesa-chan," Rukia commented, "but there's a major flaw. How can _we_ get into _your_ inner world?"

I pursed my lips as I thought about that. After a couple seconds, I smiled. "Maybe _you_ can't, but there's someone here who already _has_!" I looked intently at Rukia.

"You mean Sode no Shirayuki, right, Jesa?" Ichigo asked.

I nodded happily. I really wanted them to trust me, and this seemed like an idea that would really work. "So, what's she say, Rukia-chan?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Rukia raised an eyebrow.

"Sode-san. What's she say about my inner world?" I answered.

"What, you think I can just talk to her in my mind without entering my inner world?" Her confusion was evident. "What gave you that idea?"

"Uh, well, when I accidentally called her into my inner world, -sorry about that again, by the way- I could talk with her like that, and you noticed she was missing right away, so I figured it was normal," I replied with a shrug.

"Wait, you mean that's _another_ thing unique to me?!" Ichigo whined. "Why can't I ever be normal about anything?"

"Because normal is boring," I said with a smirk. "And you, my dear friend Ichigo, are the polar opposite of boring."

"And how would _you_ know that?" Tatsuki asked me, arms crossed.

"Oh, right. You weren't there when I mentioned the anime and manga," I mumbled. "Someone's been publishing manga and anime about Ichigo online," I said to her.

"Why am I having trouble believing this?" she interrogated.

"...Perhaps because you've been kept out of the loop of Ichigo's adventures, so you don't know why people would actually like a show about him?" I guessed.

"Perhaps." Tatsuki then turned to Ichigo, and I felt her frustration spike. "I _knew_ there was something going on, Kurosaki Ichigo! And when I confronted you about it, you told me it wasn't my business. So tell me: how come this new girl seems to know more about you than she should, and you're perfectly fine with it?!"

"Hey, I never said-" Ichigo began, but I didn't give him time to finish. All these tense emotions were giving me a headache.

"Tatsuki-san, calm down! Please!" I pleaded as I reached out a hand, wondering whether putting it on her shoulder would calm her down or make her lash out worse. "He was trying to protect you by keeping you out of the loop. He hasn't told me anything I didn't already know before I even moved to Karakura, so, please, if you have to be mad at someone, let it be me."

* * *

*'her cross-stitch of... was that a robot?' Orihime has mentioned being in the handicrafts club, so I decided that she knows how to cross-stitch, since I'm familiar with that particular handicraft. I got the robot idea from her drawing of her 'future self'... a robotic version of her.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to Apocalyxtic98 and Snowy12345679 for all their beta-reading help so far.

Reviews are always appreciated, but I won't beg for them.


	6. Hollow and Shiny Gummy?

Previously on _Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

Jesa asks Isshin not to make comments implying that she and Ichigo are anything more than friends. The next morning, Jesa tells her mom about the dream she had, only to find out it was real, when Ichigo and Rukia are waiting at her front door to walk to school with her. At lunch, Jesa decides to tell Keigo, Tatsuki, and Mizuiro about Ichigo's shinigami status after realizing that Ichigo keeping them 'out of the loop' might do more harm than good. Before she can do much more than confirm that Keigo, Tatsuki, and Mizuiro have at least some latent reiatsu, Ishida voices his suspicion of Jesa. Jesa's seemingly simple method of proving she's trustworthy becomes more complex when Rukia denies being able to talk with her zanpakuto outside her inner world. Tatsuki jumps into the conversation, upset that Jesa knows more about Ichigo than she does.

* * *

Chapter 6: Hollow and Shiny Gummy?

"Don't tell me to calm down! You're the one that started this crazy mess!" Tatsuki shouted at me, storming off back into the building.

"Tatsuki-san, I'm sorry! I didn't- I- I don't- I-" I called after her, but she ignored me. "Dang it. I'm sorry, Ichigo-san. If only I hadn't followed after you yesterday, Tatsuki wouldn't be mad at you right now. Oh, what to do...?" I slumped to the ground and buried my face in my hands as I cried. _Dang it,_ I repeated in my thoughts. _Now they're probably all gonna be mad at me._

_"Don't be ridiculous, Jesa," _called a voice that sounded distant, but was still clearly understandable.

"Huh? Who said that?" I mumbled, looking up.

"Who said what, Jesa-chan?" Orihime responded, sounding concerned for me.

"I heard someone tell me not to be ridiculous..." I clarified. "It was a woman's voice, but it definitely wasn't yours or Rukia's..."

Suddenly, I felt tense, and I could tell Orihime was on edge, too. I was starting to have trouble breathing normally, and the only thing seemed to fit was a hollow appearing nearby. _Why is a hollow's reiatsu affecting me so much?_ I thought to myself. Then it clicked. _Duh, of _course _I'm having troub__le with it... Just because I know some of what's going on without the characters telling me and I have _some _reiatsu, I'm guaranteed to be able to withstand a hollow's reiatsu without ever having felt it before? Yeah, right. I wish. Heh, I really _do _wish. Then again, my initials are JJ, not MS.*_

"Ichigo," Rukia said in a tone that confirmed my guess that there was a hollow nearby.

"Got it," the shinigami-daiko said as Rukia pushed him out of his body. "Jesa, can you explain to Keigo and Mizuiro what's going on?"

I nodded, not quite having caught my breath yet enough for speech. While the others darted off, I crawled over to Keigo and Mizuiro, who looked even worse off than I felt, and I motioned for them to follow me.

* * *

Now back at the classroom, which, fortunately, was still otherwise empty, Mizuiro pulled over a chair from a nearby desk and asked, "What was going on back there, Jesa-chan? Why did it suddenly become so hard to breathe?"

"And why didn't it seem to bother the others?" Keigo added, tilting his head in confusion as he leaned back against the wall by my spot at the window.

Before I answered, I noticed Tatsuki standing at the doorway. "Tatsuki-san," I called to her and raised a hand in greeting. "Are you okay? You felt that hollow's reiatsu, didn't you?"

She came and sat at one of the desks near the boys and me. "Yeah." She shuddered. "It was a lot worse than that thing that attacked me and- Orihime! Where is she?!"

"Tatsuki-san, she'll be fine. Ichigo won't let anything happen to her, and even if something does, he won't give up until things are back to normal." I grinned. "Or at least as normal as things _can_ be around him..."

"You're right." She sighed. "Jesa-chan- may I call you that?" I nodded, and she continued, "I'm sorry for storming off earlier. It's just-"

"You were one of Ichigo's first friends, and someone else knowing more about him than you doesn't sit well?" I said. "Dang it, I'm sorry, I'm trying to stop interrupting people, but-"

"It's fine," she said, cutting me off. "I would still like to know _how _you know so much about Ichigo, though."

"Oh, yeah. That's actually part of what I wanted to talk to you three about earlier," I said, glancing over at Mizuiro and Keigo, who had started playing go fish, of all things, while Tatsuki and I had been smoothing things over between us.

"Ha! I win! That's 242 to none!" Mizuiro cheered.

"...You keep track of how many times you've beaten him in a game?" I said, one eyebrow raised.

"Nope, just the go fish wins." Mizuiro shrugged, ignoring the strange looks I was giving him. "So what's been going on with Ichigo-kun?"

I smirked. "Do you want the explanation with or without drawings inspired by Rukia-chan?" Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro gave me strange looks. I quickly shook my head. "Never mind," I continued. "Ichigo is a shinigami. Has been for a couple months or so, now. Rukia's one, too, by the way."

"What's a ...shiny gummy, or whatever?" Keigo asked.

"A shiny gummy is one you probably don't want to eat," I said with a laugh. "A _shinigami_, on the other hand, is someone who helps souls of the dead move on. They do this with their zanpakuto, a sword with special capabilities unique to each one."

While we waited for Ichigo and the others to return, I went on and explained to them about hollows and pluses, kido, the Gotei 13, and whatever they asked about, as clearly as I could.

* * *

"Jesa-chan," Rukia called as she and the others reentered the classroom, "Could you show me the manga you mentioned earlier?"

I thought about that. _On the one hand, it's about them, so they are kinda entitled to read it, but on the other hand, there are whole arcs that have yet to occur. ...Wait, how's that possible? Eh, I'll try to figure that out later_. Having come to a decision, I asked Mizuiro if he could get online with his phone.

"Yeah. Did you want to look for a digital copy of the manga?" he replied.

I nodded, but then the rest of the class all seemed to arrive at once, followed by the teacher, so we had to put the conversation on hold.

* * *

Over the course of the next couple classes, I had forgotten about looking up the manga online. No one else mentioned it to me, so I guess they did, too.

"Hey, Ichigo," I said from the doorway, most of my classmates having rushed out the minute the bell rang to end the day.

"Hm?" He looked over at me as he put the last of his books into his bag.

"I still haven't figured out my way around yet, so do you mind walking me home?" I started swinging my bag back and forth while I waited for him to answer.

"Yeah, sure, I guess." He stood up and turned to Rukia, who was staring at her phone in confusion. "Something wrong, Rukia?"

She didn't answer, but just started pushing various buttons on the phone.

"Rukia-chan, you coming?" I called to her, leaning around the doorway. "If you don't come now, we'll leave without you."

Finally, she looked up. "Right. Jesa-chan, Urahara-dono wants to meet up with you again, sometime after school today... He mentioned something about helping you train to develop your powers. Shall I tell him you'll stop by later, or should I tell him something else came up?"

"Tell him..." I rubbed my chin as I thought. "Tell him I'll stop by if it's okay with my mom. She might already have something planned for this afternoon. I'm not sure. Anyway, c'mon, let's get out of here," I said, standing straight and heading for the main entrance of the school, wondering what training with Urahara might be like.

* * *

*'JJ, not MS': Jesa Jones, not Mary Sue

* * *

A/N: Thanks to Apocalyxtic98 and ObscureStar for beta reading.

Reviews are always appreciated, but I won't beg for them.

Apocalyxtic98 asked why Jesa doesn't use honorifics with Ichigo, but she does with others. Here's my reasoning behind whether and which honorifics Jesa uses:

She tends not to use them with Ichigo because she knows he doesn't care about formality.

She uses -san when she is apologetic about something, or if she hasn't spent much time around the person, or to annoy Keigo - I mean Asano-san. :P

She uses -kun or -chan around people she knows well enough to feel comfortable about it.

She doesn't use honorifics with her family because she and they are from America, and honorifics aren't really a part of American culture.

If she is really agitated, stressed, or excited, she might forget to use any honorifics.

An idea that has been in the back of her/my mind for when she meets Hitsugaya Toshiro: Call him Shiro-taicho, and see how he reacts...

If there is an instance where Jesa doesn't use honorifics, but based on the above generalities, she would, please notify me. It's probably that I forgot to include them when writing out the story.

Also of note: A friend of mine is drew a bit of fanart, which has been posted as the story image.

Happy Holidays! (I'm posting this chapter in December.)


	7. A Brother and a Brat

Previously on _Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

Tatsuki storms off in anger. Jesa starts berating herself for causing the stress, but is told not to be ridiculous by a clear, but seemingly distant, voice. Ichigo, Rukia, Sado, Orihime, and Ishida dash off to take care of a hollow. Meanwhile, now back in the classroom, Jesa is about to tell Mizuiro and Keigo what has been going on with Ichigo, when Tatsuki shows up at the door. Tatsuki and Jesa clear things up between them, and Jesa tells the other three about shinigami, hollows, the Gotei 13, etc. Jesa is about to show them the manga, using Mizuiro's phone, when class is started up again. After school, Jesa asks Ichigo to walk her home, since she's still trying to learn her way around, and Rukia gets a message from Urahara, requesting that Jesa come to his shop for training with her new powers.

* * *

Chapter 7: A Brother and a Brat

"Hey, Mom, I'm home!" I called as I opened the front door. At a normal volume, I asked Ichigo and Rukia, "Well? Coming in or not?"

"Oh, I just _couldn't _intrude..." Rukia said, all sweetly.

I sighed exasperatedly. "Cut it out, Rukia. You're not fooling me. Come on. You can stick your stuff on the steps if you want," I said, gesturing in the general direction of the front staircase. "I'll be right back. I have to make sure Mom's okay with me going to Urahara's. You can come and meet my mom, or you can wait here. Either way's fine."

"I'll wait here," Ichigo said, sounding a bit worried for some reason.

"That's fine." I shrugged. "Rukia?"

She smiled. "I'll come. She's gotta be saner than Ichigo's dad."

I laughed. "Definitely saner."

* * *

"Mom, is it okay if I go hang out with some new friends for the afternoon?" I asked, knocking on the open doorway of what would become her craft room.

Mom paused in unpacking the various craft supplies from one of the boxes. "Promise me you'll spend some time organizing your room later, and I'll let you go."

"Thanks," I said, hugging her. "Oh, by the way, Mom, remember the dream I was telling you about this morning? How I came across Ichigo and Rukia and the other Bleach characters?" I started bouncing a bit in my excitement. "And my necklace turned into their swords?"

"Yes, why?" she asked, a bit bemused.

"'Cause it wasn't a dream!" I nearly shouted, grinning widely. "Mom, this is Rukia." Rukia came up and bowed. "Rukia-chan, my mom."

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Rukia said.

Mom nodded back. As Rukia and I turned to go, Mom called my name. As I turned back towards her, I felt a mix of concern and pride coming from her. "Be careful, Jesa. Call me if you aren't going to be home for dinner."

"Okey-doke. Love ya," I said, hugging her again. I was so caught up in the excitement of the last couple of days that I didn't stop to think about why she'd believe my 'dream' having actually happened.

"I love you more," she answered with a smile.

I chuckled as Rukia and I went back to the living room, to find Ichigo having a staring contest with a boy. The kid had short brown hair, brown eyes, a scowl that could almost rival Ichigo's, and the local middle school uniform.

"Ichigo, Jensen! What's the problem?" I asked my friend and my brother.

"You know this guy, Jesa?!" Jensen asked.

"Uh, yeah. Duh! He's in my class. And he lives next door. _And_ didn't you hear what I called him? How many guys do you know of with the name 'Ichigo'?" I answered, flicking my brother on the arm in annoyance.

Jensen looked at Ichigo. "It's real?" he asked, shocked more than he was letting on. I could tell. I have empathy.

"Oi, I'm not an 'it'!" Ichigo said, annoyance not hidden. "That's Kon!"

I may not like Kon, but still... "Ichigo! Just because Kon's in the body of a stuffed lion usually, that doesn't make him an 'it'!" I scolded. "And I don't think my brother was referring to _you_ as an it. He meant your anime and manga." I clarified. "Right, Jensen?"

"This guy's your brother?" Ichigo asked, pointing a thumb at Jensen.

"Yes, Ichigo, Jensen is my brother. And, yes, he knows about Bleach."

Jensen spoke up, arms crossed in front of him. "I'm not as obsessed with it as Jesa, though. Man, she's crazy."

"Jensen~!" I whined. "I'm not _crazy_ about it!"

"Yeah, at least not as much as some of your friends back home," he conceded, rolling his eyes. "I think some of them even had an exact duplicate of the girl's sword!"

Rukia had decided to stay out of it so far, but when she was mentioned, she jumped in. "You mean this?" She manifested Sode no Shirayuki, despite being in her gigai.

Jensen merely nodded, speechless.

After a whole five minutes of silence, Rukia's phone buzzing startled all four of us. She dematerialized her zanpakuto, pulled the phone from her pocket, and pouted as she read the text. "Jesa-chan, Urahara-dono is wondering where we are. We'd better go."

"Yeah, you're right," I said to Rukia. I lazily waved to my brother and said, "See ya later, kiddo." After checking to make sure I still had my necklace with me, I followed Ichigo and Rukia out the door.

* * *

"Hey, Ichigo, Rukia-chan, wanna help me prank Jensen later?" I asked with a smirk, a few minutes into our walk. Ichigo tensed. "N-nothing dangerous, I wouldn't hurt my little brother, no matter _how_ much he annoys me," I quickly added in what I hoped was a reassuring tone, shaking my head.

"What would it involve?" he asked, relieved I wasn't going against his older-sibling-protects-the-younger-ones code.

"I dunno. That's part of why I wanted help... To get some good ideas." I shrugged. "So, any suggestions?"

"I'm not much of a prankster, usually," Ichigo said, rubbing the back of his head. "Rukia, think Renji might have some good ideas?"

Somehow, even with her eyes closed in thought, Rukia could still avoid tripping over bumps in the sidewalk and other obstacles. "Hm, he might. No harm asking, right?"

"Ha, I can't wait to meet the pineapple!" I cheered.

* * *

The rest of the walk passed in comfortable silence. When we arrived at Urahara's shop, Jinta, that brat... He was pulling on Ururu's bangs! I didn't have to ask to know that Ichigo and Rukia were less than happy about it, too. I snuck up behind Jinta and whispered, "Boo!"

"Yaaaaaaahhh! Who's there?!" he shrieked. He did let go of Ururu's bangs, at least.

"Ouch, quiet down! I have sensitive ears!" I moaned. "Jinta, I'm a friend of Ichigo and Rukia's. Urahara wanted me to stop by after school today."

"Oh. Whatever." His attempt at acting cool made me chuckle.

"Ururu-chan, are you okay?" I asked, crouching down to her level. "I saw what he did to you. He's so mean, isn't he?" I frowned in Jinta's direction.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be fine, O-nee-san," Ururu replied politely.

"I'm Jesa. Use the honorifics if you want, but I'm not really used to them." I smiled. "You're a really sweet kid, ya know that?" My smile turned to a grin when she blushed a bit.

"Jesa-chan," Rukia said. "Urahara's waiting for us in the basement."

"Oh, right." I stood up. "Nice to meet you, Ururu-chan," I said as I tousled her hair a bit, and then entered the shop.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to Apocalyxtic98 for beta reading.

Reviews are always appreciated, but I won't beg for them.

Posted on my profile is Jesa's OC profile, if you're interested. Note: Spoilers on how Jesa's powers work are included in her OC profile.


	8. Fruit and Kyoukan

Previously on _Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

Rukia, Ichigo, and Jesa arrive at the Jones household. Ichigo waits in the living room while Jesa introduces Rukia and her mom. When the girls return to the living room, they find Ichigo having a staring contest with a boy wearing the middle school's uniform, who is revealed to be Jesa's brother, Jensen. Jesa and Jensen get into an argument concerning how 'crazy' Jesa is about Bleach. Jensen mentions that some of Jesa's friends had duplicates of Rukia's sword. Rukia materializes her zanpakuto, leading to a few minutes of silence. The silence breaks when Urahara texts Rukia, asking where she, Ichigo, and Jesa are. On the way to Urahara's shop, Jesa asks Rukia and Ichigo to help prank her brother, and they suggest talking to Renji about it. When the three arrive at the shop, Jesa introduces herself to Jinta and Ururu, and then follows Rukia and Ichigo into the shop.

* * *

Chapter 8: Fruit and Kyoukan

"You call this a training ground?!" I said to Urahara when I reached the bottom of his shop's basement. "It's- it's..."

"Huge?" he supplied.

"Nah, I was actually going to say 'tiny', but I didn't want to use that particular word..." I shrugged.

Everyone else who was there face-faulted, 'everyone' being Urahara, Yoruichi (human form), Ichigo, Rukia, Tessai, Sado, Orihime, Ishida, and... a pineapple. Somehow, I was able to wipe off the grin that formed when I thought of all the fruit jokes I could make around Renji, and I did it before anyone recovered from my comment. Did I mention I have no talent at keeping a poker face?

I looked around as the others stood back up. _Huh, I __wonder why the pineapple's frowning, _I thought. _Bad news from Soul Society, perhaps?_

"Tiny?!" Urahara's voice brought me out of my thoughts. "Jesa-chan, if you call this 'small', then there must be another training ground you've seen that's even bigger," Urahara said, curiosity and wounded pride mixed in his voice. Only the curiosity was genuine, though.

"Mmhmm, sure have. This place has nothing on the SGC base." I smirked. _Messing with people's minds is so fun!_

"The SGC?" Orihime said, head tilted a bit. "Stargate Command?"

I whirled to face her so fast that I was surprised I didn't get dizzy. "You've heard of it?"

She nodded joyfully. "I have the whole DVD collection!"

"Really? How 'bout we have a Stargate marathon some time?" I asked excitedly.

"Hey, Strawberry," the pineapple said, interrupting our conversation. "Who's the kiwi?"

"Oi, I'm not a stupid strawberry, ya pineapple!" Ichigo retorted.

"And who are you calling a kiwi?" I added.

"You. So, besides being a kiwi, who are you?" Renji asked me. Calling him 'the pineapple' was getting boring, and 'Renji' is shorter, anyway.

"I'm Jesa, Ichigo's new neighbor. And _why_ am I a 'kiwi', anyway?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Renji smirked. "It was the first fruit that came to mind that seemed to apply to you. Kiwis are brown and fuzzy, and you have short brown hair."

"Oh, okay." I smiled, partly because I didn't mind the nickname, and partly because I knew my nonchalance would confuse him. "Makes sense. My cousin once tried to get people to call her 'Kiwi', but it didn't catch on, so it's kinda funny that I'm getting called that without any effort on my part." I pretended not to notice the blank stare I was getting from the pineapple as I turned to Urahara. "So, you wanted me to come by for training, right?"

"Yes, yes, so true!" Urahara said from behind that stupid fan. "Now, we all have a release or call phrase for our attacks or powers," he began. After a fake-cough interruption from Ishida, Urahara continued. "Everyone except Ishida-san, I mean. We thought you would probably have a call phrase unique to your own powers."

"So if this is about me, why is everyone else here?" I asked. "Not that I don't like spending time with you guys, but do we really need ten people here to figure out one girl's powers?"

"You're right," Yoruichi answered. "But that's not the only reason we're all here today."

"Are you sure she can be trusted?" Renji stage-whispered to Ichigo.

"No, but she does seem to know things without any of us having told her." Ichigo shrugged. "So it's better to have her on our side, where we can keep an eye on her, right?"

"That... was surprisingly intelligent, coming from you," Renji commented.

"Y'know, Renji," I began. "Ichigo was in the top 30 of his class at Karakura High before he got caught up in all this shinigami business. So don't go implying that he's stupid."

"Ya see?" Ichigo smirked. "She knows things none of us told her."

I faced Ichigo. "And Keigo and Mizuiro's reactions when they discovered you and Chad were _both_ in the top 30? I was laughing my head off at that episode."

"Episode?" Renji said in confusion. "What, is there some anime about Ichigo?"

"Yup, and that's how I knew about your pineapple status," I said with a chuckle.

"You're kidding," Renji deadpanned.

"Nope. Do I look like I'm kidding?" I said with a silly grin on my face. "Don't answer that. So, back to business. Urahara-san, what's first on the agenda?"

"Eto, what was it now?" Urahara had his hand on his chin, and his face towards the ceiling.

"Urahara..." I said seriously. _If he forgot..._ I left the threat unfinished, even though I was just thinking it.

"Oh, right, right, I remember now!" he exclaimed.

_Why do I get the feeling he never even forgot in the first place?_ I wondered.

"_Because of your kyoukan," _a strangely familiar female voice said.

I looked around in confusion. "What? What the heck is 'kyoukan'?"

"It's Japanese for empathy," Urahara explained. "Why do you ask?"

"Wait, aren't we speaking Japanese?" I asked, sidetracked.

"Well, yes, _we_ are, Jesa-chan, but _you_ are using English," Yoruichi answered.

"Then how can we understand each other?" I scratched my head in confusion.

"_Again, because of your kyoukan_," the same voice answered.

"Oh... kay, before we continue, I have to ask: How likely is it that activating my powers either created or woke up some kind of spirit in my inner world?"

"_And she finally catches on!" _the voice cheered.

"_Really? I actually have my own power spirit?" _I laughed in joy. Refocusing on the world around me, I said, "I think my question was just answered by that spirit I was asking about."

Urahara commented, "Well, that makes things easier. I expected you'd have more difficulty contacting your power spirit. Why don't you go find somewhere comfortable to rest while you get to know each other?"

"Why would I need somewhere comfortable?" I asked in confusion.

"You'll probably be drawn into your inner world," Yoruichi answered. "So making sure your body is in a comfortable position while you're inside your soul will keep it from getting cramped in the meantime."

"I see," I said with a nod. "Got a futon I can borrow?"

"Yeah, Urahara had Tessai bring it down earlier in case you needed it," Yoruichi said as she led me to the spot and everyone else started doing their own thing, mostly training.

"That was thoughtful." I smiled and sat down. "And this is a nice futon!"

"I'll leave you to it, then," Yoruichi said as I closed my eyes and drifted off.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Jesa meets her power spirit face to face! I was planning on having that happen this chapter, but it didn't happen.

As always, thanks to Apocalyxtic98 for the beta reading help. Reviews are always appreciated, but I won't beg for them.

Thanks to my cousin (Delaware Visitor) for the help over the phone, and for suggesting the kiwi bit.

God bless, and Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!


	9. Exploring the Soul

Previously on _Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

Renji the pineapple expresses his concern about trusting Jesa. Jesa hears a voice in her head saying various happenings are 'Because of your kyoukan.' Jesa realizes that the voice is from her power spirit. While the others at Urahara's shop do their own thing, Yoruichi leads Jesa to a futon where she can rest her body while getting to know her power spirit.

* * *

Chapter 9: Exploring the Soul

"Jesa... Jesa... Wake up, Jesa..." someone called gently.

"Five more minutes?" I mumbled. The spot of grass I was lying on was really comfy. It wasn't scratchy at all, and... Wait, grass? Didn't I fall asleep on a futon?

"Your body is still on that futon, Jesa," the voice answered my thoughts, but I was too disoriented to recognize that detail. "Try opening your eyes."

"Right, that would help, wouldn't it?" I mumbled sleepily. When I looked up, I saw a woman, in her late teens/early 20's perhaps - I'm not good with guessing age based on looks - with long, braided hair that shone like a diamond, easily Mary Sue-ish. But I've never heard of Mary Sues wearing jeans and a t-shirt, even if the t-shirt was so colorful it could pass for a rainbow. "Who are you?!" I asked. I got the feeling I should know who she was instinctively, but I knew for a fact that I'd never seen her before.

She gave me a look that said 'Think about it. Figure it out."

I stared at her blankly. "Hint, please?" I asked after a minute or so.

"Fine," she said, sighing. "Zangetsu. Shirosaki. Shun-shun Rikka. Sode no Shirayuki. Me. What do we all have in common?"

"I'm guessing this is my inner world, so... you're all... spirits in someone's head?" After a couple seconds, I added, "But wait, Shun-shun Rikka doesn't match up with that..."

"How do you know that for sure?" the woman countered. "But more specifically, what do we each represent? Reason it out."

"Alright, a logic puzzle. I like those. Now, let's see. Zangetsu is Ichigo's zanpakuto, and Shirosaki is his hollow. Shun-shun Rikka represents Orihime's powers, and Sode no Shirayuki is Rukia's zanpakuto. So... Oh, duh! You represent _my_ powers!" I rolled my eyes. "Took me long enough... Heh."

"And you called _Ichigo_ dense!" the woman teased.

"So, Miss Power Spirit, got a name?" I asked, changing the subject both to escape the tease and in genuine curiosity.

"Of course!" she replied. In response to my hopeful look, she added, "But I'm not telling just yet. That wouldn't be any fun, just giving it to you."

"You're right..." I conceded. "But I'll have a chance to find out later, right?"

"Yes, Jesa," she replied wearily. "Why don't you take a look around? Your inner world is a lot less monotonous than just a bunch of sideways skyscrapers," she said with a chuckle.

"Sounds good." I looked around and saw that I was sitting at the base of a tree. Above me, I saw branches that looked easily wide and strong enough for me to relax on and read a book. Speaking of books, there was also a bookshelf nearby with... "The whole collection of Bleach manga? Awesome! And DVDs of the anime and movies, and a laptop! I wonder if there's internet access here..." I said aloud, a silly grin on my face.

I figured since this was my inner world, I'd probably have time to look into that later, and there seemed to be more to explore, anyway. As I wandered around, I came across various bookshelves scattered here and there. One was full of joke books. Another had sheet music, and a violin resting on top. The next had some of my favorite sci-fi and fantasy novel series. After that, I found... an ice cream machine. "There _would_ be something about my sweet tooth in my inner world..." I smiled and shook my head. Then I came across another bookshelf, this one with novels and humor books about cats. A photo of a younger me holding Raya and Brea was situated prominently on top. Cue the tears.

"I wish they could have come with us..."

"You found the photo, didn't you?" the woman said gently, and I felt arms wrap around me from behind. I turned around and hugged her back, still crying.

I nodded to answer her question. "Thanks. I needed that hug."

"That's why I did it." She let go of the hug and stepped back to look at me with a smile, warmth and comfort radiating from her entire demeanor. "Now, come on, there's still more to see. There's something in particular I want to show you."

* * *

While we walked, a thought occurred to me. "When I started blaming myself for Tatsuki storming off earlier, I heard a voice telling me not to be ridiculous. Was that you?"

My power spirit looked over at me, clearly amused. "You _just_ realized that?"

"Uh... Well, yeah," I admitted, slightly embarrassed. "But I also only just now thought about it since meeting you, so-"

"Jesa, I'm just giving you a hard time!" she interrupted, exasperated. "You should be used to that by now, what with how often Mom does it."

I stopped walking. "Wait, you just referred to my mom as if she were your own..."

"Because she is, silly! I'm a part of you, remember?" She swatted my arm lightly.

I nodded and rolled my eyes. "Right, right. So, how much farther till we get to what you wanted to show me?"

"We're actually already there," she answered. "If you thought those bookshelves here and there were odd, just look at these."

I looked around and saw... doors. Doors that didn't appear to lead anywhere. There was a white one, an orange one, a yellow, a magenta, a burgundy, and at least a dozen more. The white and orange ones were ajar, but the others were all shut. I walked closer and saw that the orange one had a picture of Zangetsu on it. The sword, not the spirit. The white one depicted Sode no Shirayuki. The others were just solid colors. I did notice that one of the solid ones seemed more prominent than the others, like it was really familiar and should have been obvious whose it was, but I just couldn't quite figure it out. Oh, well. It's a mystery to ponder later.

"Lemme guess: These doors lead to other people's inner worlds, right, Nee-chan?" I asked my power spirit. Sode-san had to have gotten in _somehow_, so I figured it was probably through the white door.

"There's more to it than that, but that's the short and sweet way to put it. And why'd you call me 'Nee-chan'? And I thought you didn't care for honorifics?" Nee-chan looked curious.

"A couple reasons," I answered. "I don't know your name yet, so I needed _something_ to call you. I've often wondered what it'd be like if I had a sister, and I can easily see you as being an older sister. 'Nee' by itself just didn't seem right, so I added the honorific." I rubbed my neck. "That _is_ okay with you, right?"

"Works for me," Nee-chan said with a smile. "Just don't forget that you still need to find out what my name actually is, Jesa."

"I know, I know," I said as I sat down in the grass that seemed to cover every bit of the ground in my inner world.

* * *

A/N: Thanks yet again to Apocalyxtic98 for beta reading.

Reviews are always appreciated, but I won't beg for them.

Yet again, my intentions didn't completely match up with what I actually wrote. I had planned to reveal Nee-chan's name in this chapter, but other ideas inserted themselves.


	10. A Riddle and Other Questions

Previously on _Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

Jesa wakes up in her inner world and sees a woman, who is revealed to be Jesa's power spirit. Jesa explores her inner world, which truly does represent her mind rather literally. Nee-chan, as Jesa dubs her power spirit, at least until said spirit is willing to reveal her name, shows Jesa a part of her inner world where doors are placed here and there. Jesa quickly realizes that these doors lead to her friends' inner worlds, and the white one was Sode no Shirayuki's entry point when Jesa accidentally drew her in.

* * *

Chapter 10: A Riddle and Other Questions

"So, what's the test to prove I'm worthy of learning your name, Nee-chan?" I asked eagerly as she sat down beside me.

"My name is spelled out somewhere in here. Your test is to figure out where," my power spirit answered.

"What! But-but-but- There are so~ many books in here! How can I figure out which one has it?" I complained.

"Listen closely. I'll repeat the hint," she said with a mischievous smile. "'My name is spelled out _somewhere_ in here.' You just assumed it was in a book, but I never said that."

"So... it's not in the bookshelves?" I asked, trying to clarify what she was telling me.

"I didn't say that, either." Nee-chan started chuckling madly. "You're gonna be so~ annoyed once you figure this out, if you don't get it soon." She pulled out a notepad and pencil from her jeans pocket and handed them to me. "Here, use this to write down the riddle and anything else you think might be relevant."

I nodded. "Hm. You called this a riddle, and those usually have clues hidden in plain sight. I'd better copy our whole conversation down." I began writing on the notepad rapidly so I wouldn't forget any of the details.

"You do that," she replied. After I finished writing, Nee-chan stood up. "While you think about the riddle, I'll go see how Sode-san's doing."

"You mean those doors work both ways?" I said, looking up. After she nodded, I smirked deviously. "Which one's Renji's door?" I asked excitedly. "I wanna see if Zabimaru will work with me on some pineapple jokes. Zabimaru gets along with her wielder about as well as Ichigo and Rukia get along, right? They work together well, but are more than willing to give each other a hard time?"

"Jesa..." Nee-chan sighed. "I don't think you should be fooling around in other people's inner worlds, especially when they don't even know you have access, let alone _how_ you can get in."

I briefly wondered how Nee-chan could sound so much like a reprimanding parent when she hardly looked much older than I was. "So why's it okay for _you_ to go visit Sode-san?" I protested, crossing my arms over my chest, unintentionally making that analogy even more valid.

Nee-chan took a deep breath in exasperation. "Sode-san and I have already met. While you were telling Rukia where her zanpakuto was, I took the opportunity to explain the situation to Sode-san. Thus, she already knows about the doors."

I opened my mouth to continue protesting, but Nee-chan kept going. "And she gave me permission to visit, as long as I don't abuse the privilege."

I huffed. "Fine... Guess I'll go see what's going on outside." After a few seconds' pause, I asked sheepishly, "Um, how _do_ I get back to my body?"

Nee-chan paused and turned back to me, her hand already on the doorknob of the door to Rukia's inner world. "It's one of the doors around here. Find the one with the picture of your cross charm."

I nodded. I was surprised at first, but then it started to make sense. The other doors lead to other people's inner worlds, presumably people I'm friends with, or maybe other Bleach characters who are trustworthy (e.g. Shiro-taicho, but not Aizen-the-evil-freak-I-prefer-not-to-think-about), so my door leads to my body, since I'm already inside my inner world.

"One more thing, Jesa," Nee-chan called, breaking me out of my musings. "If you need me, just call for me. You don't need to come looking for me in Rukia's or anyone else's inner world. I'll hear you, wherever I am."

"Drat," I said, feigning annoyance. "Now I'll have to find some other loophole."

Nee-chan apparently didn't deem my comment worthy of a reply, since she just walked through the white door and shut it behind her. I didn't quite realize she had already left until I heard the soft click of the latch as the door closed.

"Guess I'd better find that door back to my body, then," I said as I stood up to look for my door.

* * *

"Gosh, darn it!" I muttered as I woke up in my body, which was still on the futon Yoruichi led me to in Urahara's training ground. "I forgot to ask Nee-chan what my call phrase is!"

"But you did meet your power spirit, right?" I heard a young female voice say from my left.

"Yeah, that's true. At least I made some progress," I answered as I sat up. I turned to see who was talking with me. It was... a chicken plushie wearing a blue hoodie. "Lirin, right?"

"Not quite," she answered. "But you're from America, so as long as you don't mess it up again, I'll let it go this time. It's Ririn." Her tone told me she was trying to be uppity, but my empathy said the tone was faked.

"That's... generous," I said, smiling in surprise and gratitude. I knew how up-tight this mod soul could get. "Thanks, Ririn-chan." I looked around for the others, eager to share the news of my success, but it seemed that Ririn and I were the only ones down here. My check for the others' reiatsu confirmed this, so I asked Ririn what the others were up to.

Ririn hopped up onto the futon and took her time getting comfortable, sitting on my knee, before answering. "Urahara made some ramen for everyone for dinner, and Renji mentioned a message from his captain. I suppose they're probably discussing the details of that message currently."

"Mkay. So, ramen for dinner? Oh, crap, dinner!" I slapped my forehead. "Mom wanted me to call if I wasn't going to be eating at home! Oh, where's my cell phone?" I felt something vibrating in the pocket of my jeans. "Well, that answers _that_ question. So, question number 2: Who's calling me?" I pulled out my pink flip phone and saw 'Mom' on the caller ID. I quickly flipped the cell open. "Hey, Mom," I greeted.

"Jesa, it's after seven o'clock. Have you had dinner yet?" my mom asked worriedly.

"Not yet," I answered. "But it's just about ready. Sorry I forgot to call." I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment.

"It's okay, but I do worry. You're my only daughter, and you're my eldest." There seemed to be something Mom wanted to add to that, but she changed the subject instead. "So, are you having fun with your new friends?"

I thought about that. I had spooked Jinta, which was fun. I had comforted Ururu after Jinta stopped picking on her, which wasn't as fun. I had teased Renji for being a pineapple, which definitely was fun. I got a new nickname that I liked, which was, if not fun, at least enjoyable. I met my power spirit, which was awesome. "Yup, I'm having a great time, Mom."

"Good to hear," Mom said, no longer worried. "I want you home by 9, Jesa. You have school in the morning, and you need to get used to a proper sleep schedule."

"Okey-doke. I'll make sure I set an alarm so I don't forget. Love you, Mom," I said, smiling happily.

"I love you more," I heard as I hung up.

"So, Ririn, want a ride upstairs?" I offered after setting my phone alarm for 8:30.

"Sure," she replied, hopping from my knee to my shoulder.

* * *

As I shut the trap door to the basement, I heard a knock on the outer door of Urahara's shop. I looked up to see...

* * *

A/N: To see... a cliffhanger!

As always, thanks to Apocalyxtic98 for beta reading, and to Delaware Visitor (the original Kiwi) for her help as well.

Story Image is up! Credit goes to my friend who shall remain anonymous until I remember to ask what name she wants me to use for her, since she doesn't have an ffnet account.

God bless, and Happy Holidays! (Christmas has passed, but there's still New Years!)


	11. The Plot Arrives! Teaser Chapter

Previously on _Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

Nee-chan tells Jesa the riddle for learning her true name. Nee-chan decides to visit Sode no Shirayuki, but tells Jesa not to go wandering around in others' inner worlds. Jesa protests but soon acquiesces. After Jesa finds the door back to her physical body, she wakes up and finds Ririn watching over her, and everyone else upstairs. Ririn takes a liking to Jesa, surprisingly. Jesa's mom calls her, asking where she is, as it is now after 7 at night. Jesa says she's been having fun with friends and is about to have dinner. After Jesa and her mom's conversation, Jesa and Ririn head upstairs and hear a knock at the door to Urahara's shop. They look up and see... the dreaded cliffhanger!

* * *

Chapter 11: The Plot Arrives! Teaser Chapter

"Tatsuki-chan? Mizuiro-kun? Keigo-kun? What are you doing here?" I asked, not as shocked to see them as I probably should have been.

"We were talking about what you told us earlier," Tatsuki answered, frowning seriously. "And it seemed like going to Urahara would be our best chance of awakening any powers of our own." Keigo and Mizuiro nodded nervously, though whether this was caused by their proximity to the shop, or to Tatsuki, I couldn't tell.

"I see," I said as I walked over to open the door for them. "Well, come on in, I guess. Ririn said everyone's in the back having dinner and talking about the message Renji brought from the Soul Society. Since you've already been told about it all, there's no point in trying to hide any new info from you. And afterwards, maybe you can ask Urahara about those dormant powers."

* * *

When the five of us arrived at the back room, all talk ceased, and everyone stared. Well, mostly everyone. Urahara smirked at me, and Yoruichi grinned. Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, Sado, Orihime, and Ishida stared in various levels of shock and disbelief at Mizuiro, Tatsuki, and Keigo, who stared back likewise. Ririn stared at Kon, and I felt worry coming from her. Noba, Kurodo, and Kon were staring blankly at a wall in shock, but since they had been doing that even before we entered, I wondered if it was because of something in the message Renji had brought from Soul Society. And I? I stared at Urahara.

"Okay, can we please stop the awkward staring contest now?" I asked after what felt like minutes, but was probably only seconds. Cue everyone else turning to stare at me... "Okay, not what I expected to happen..." I mumbled as I scratched my cheek in embarrassment. "So... Renji, Ririn told me you had a message from the Soul Society...?" I prompted, hoping I would lose the attention along with getting an answer.

"Uh, yeah," Renji said, a little startled from the attention being turned to him, but he quickly regained his composure and summarized the report. "It pretty much said that the 12th Squad has been picking up new reiatsu signatures in and around Karakura. Most of them have yet to be identified," Renji said, narrowing his weird eyebrows. "But a few were confirmed to be human, and one of those underwent significant changes yesterday. I was stationed here to work with Rukia and the others on investigating the situation."

"Well, you're in luck, Pineapple!" I grinned. "Most likely, the human reiatsu with the significant changes is mine. Ishida here even commented on the changes when we met yesterday," I said, gesturing at the Quincy. I smiled a bit at the nod of confirmation he gave. _Maybe we could become friends after all..._ I thought briefly.

Kon then spoke up hesitantly. "I might have some information about the unidentified reiatsu..."

"What do you mean, you have information?!" Ichigo yelled, grabbing Kon by the head. "Why didn't you mention it right away?"

"Hey, hey, put me down! That hurts!" Kon whined, utterly failing in his attempt to punch or kick Ichigo's face. "I'll explain; just put me down!"

Ichigo glared at the mod soul currently in a plushie body, but did as requested... if you count throwing him at the wall 'putting him down', at least. Hehe.

Kon jumped back onto the table, glared at Ichigo halfheartedly, and sighed. When he spoke, there was nothing of his usual self-important tone in his voice. "Right. So, the information. I think the reiatsu that the 12th squad couldn't identify belongs to mod souls."

* * *

A/N: Sorry it's been so long! Writer's block hit me hard, and then I went and left you with another cliffie. Gomen nasai!

As always, thanks to Apocalyxtic98 for her awesome beta-reading help. (And, yes, Alyx, it _is_ awesome.)

Note not directly related to BGK: For a while, I had been wondering how to reconcile my Christian beliefs about God with the Bleach concept of the Spirit King. And I finally found a connection!  
The Spirit King doesn't involve himself in affairs of the other realms, unless he absolutely has to do so to prevent the entire universe from collapsing. All he does is keep a figurehead position, it seems.  
Some people believe that God created the world and then left creation to its own devices without caring what happened to it after that, which sounds a lot like the apparent role of the Spirit King.  
I believe that God holds all of creation together and wants the best for His work of art, but He also gave us free will. Hence why He sent Jesus to die for us, but we still have to choose to believe the Truth to receive the gift. I also believe that God works all things for the good of those who believe, and He does so in a way that could sometimes be taken as coincidence. I don't know how true this is. But it's what I believe wholeheartedly. I have firm footing on my rock of faith.  
Connection to Bleach: What if the Spirit King isn't just a figurehead? What if he's been helping Ichigo-tachi 'behind the scenes', so to speak?


	12. The Plot Arrives!

Previously on _B__ridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro arrive at Urahara's shop, and Jesa leads them to the back room where the others are having dinner and discussing the message Renji brought from Soul Society. After a brief staring contest, Renji summarizes the report: The 12th division has detected new reiatsu signatures around Karakura; most are unidentified, but a few are human, one of which changed significantly yesterday. Jesa deduces that this one is hers, and Kon reveals that the unidentified signatures are probably from mod souls.

* * *

Chapter 12: The Plot Arrives!

"Mod souls?" Ichigo echoed in slight confusion after swallowing his bite of ramen. "Isn't that what you are?"

Kon nodded in confirmation, his solemnity indicative of how serious the situation was. "There's more, though. One of the signatures I picked up seemed familiar, but I can't figure out why..."

I munched on my noodles as I thought. 'So it's probably not Nozomi... Kon certainly didn't recognize her at all when she first showed up in the anime. So who else could it be?' With my next thought came anxiety. 'If it isn't anyone from the show, which seems to be likely, then all that time spent watching the later arcs won't mean a thing!'

"Do you have any information to add, Jesa-san?" Urahara asked, watching me closely.

"Hm? Oh, right, my Bleach knowledge," I began. "Unfortunately, I can't think of anyone who might fit the situation with the mods. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful..." I looked down in slight shame.

After a brief but uncomfortable silence, I felt arms wrap around me in a show of sympathy. "Jesa-chan," Orihime said softly after releasing me from the hug, "Just because you can't help the way you think you should, that doesn't mean you can't help at all."

Fortunately, I hadn't gotten so deep in the meltdown that I couldn't snap out of it easily. And Orihime said just the right thing to help me break out of it. I nodded to her and smiled in appreciation. "Thanks. You're right, Orihime-chan."

"Of course! We're friends, aren't we?" she replied with a smile.

I nodded, took a deep breath, and looked around at everyone: Renji, Ichigo, Rukia, Kon, Ururu, Jinta, Tessai, Ririn, Kurodo, Noba, Chad, Ishida, Orihime, Yoruichi, Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, and finally Urahara. "So. What's the plan?"

Renji was the one to answer. "Well, part of my orders was if I came across anyone with one of the odd reiatsu signatures, I was supposed to either modify their memory of spiritual incidents, or bring them to Soul Society if possible."

"Really?" My face lit up in excitement. "I get to go to the Soul Society? Awesome!"

Renji raised an eyebrow at me. "Why are you so eager to go to the world of the _dead_? Going through a senkaimon would essentially kill you. You do know that, right?" The last question was said in a condescending tone, as if he thought I were an idiot. Which he probably did at the moment. I mentally shrugged at that.

Outwardly, I smirked back. "True, if I were to use a standard one, but not if I use Urahara's, with the matter converter!" I turned back to Urahara and commented sincerely, "One of your many great inventions, by the way."

"You flatter me," he replied. That stupid fan he pulled out again is seriously getting on my nerves!

In a moment of brilliance, I casually asked Rukia if she would sokatsui one object into oblivion for me if I bought a Chappy plushie for her. At her eager nod, I pointed at Urahara's fan. "There's your target, then. I don't know how soon I'll be able to get the plushie, but I will get it for you."

"Jesa-chan, I'm sure we can work something out, right?" Urahara whimpered. I wasn't sure whether I should be shocked, annoyed, amused, or what, that his worry was genuine. I got around that dilemma by just ignoring it.

I pretended to think about his request for a bit. "Hmm... Nope, sorry. I'm busy working out a deal with Rukia-chan at the moment, and it's hard for me to focus on more than one thing at a time." I gave him a goofy, crooked grin and turned back to Rukia. "Whenever you're ready, Rukia-chan."

"Wouldn't you prefer a surprise attack, though, Jesa-chan?" Rukia suggested. "It'd be relatively easy for him to block if I were to fulfill my side of this deal now, since we're discussing the matter right in front of him."

"Eh, I guess you're right," I replied. I turned back to the annoyance's accomplice and spoke in an attempted mock-mysterious tone. "Your fan is safe, Urahara-san. For now, that is..." Having dealt with that bout of silliness, I sat up straight and tried to get back on track. "Moving on, we were just about to visit the Soul Society, right, Pineapple?" I ignored his mumbled comment about 'scattered kiwi minds' or some other such nonsense.

* * *

Ten minutes later, I found myself free-falling towards the western section of the Rukongai. The previous four minutes consisted of running from the Cleaner in the Dangai. Seriously, why is it that any time Ichigo or his companions use Urahara's senkaimon, that thing shows up?!

Anywho, before that, soon after we ended the meeting, I had sent my mom a speed-text telling her I would be having an impromptu 'sleepover' with Rukia and her friends. Meanwhile, Renji called... I'm guessing it was Byakuya, to give a report about his mission, and to let them know we were coming. That's when I realized that Mom might get worried if she couldn't get a hold of me while I was in another dimension, so I asked Urahara if he could loan me a soul pager temporarily. Apparently, the only extra one he had was a prototype he had finished the other day. It was best described as a fusion between the standard soul pager and a smart phone. It was quite the upgrade from my flip phone I had gotten a couple years ago, so who was I to complain?

After that, we followed Urahara to the training ground. Yoruichi recapped the gist of the matter converter and its necessity for Tatsuki, Mizuiro, and Keigo's benefit, and then morphed cat, at which Keigo and Mizuiro completely freaked, much to the amusement of the others present. Renji and Rukia left their gigais, and Ichigo used his badge to pop Kon's pill out of the lion plushie. Ichigo swallowed the mod's pill and separated from his body.

"Urahara-san, could you keep an eye on my sisters while we're gone?" Ichigo asked.

"Isn't that usually my job, though, Ichigo?" Kon spoke up. At this point, I felt something from Tatsuki, but I couldn't quite figure out just what she was feeling and decided to ignore it in favor of hearing the answer to Kon's question, which I had also been wondering about.

"Yeah, usually. But you're coming with us, this time," Ichigo responded. "You have info about the situation."

_I wonder what he's leaving unsaid,_ I thought. _What is Ichigo planning?_

By that time, Tessai and Urahara had finished charging up the gate, and off we went.

So, here we were, Ichigo, Renji, Rukia, Orihime, Chad, Yoruichi, Ishida, Kon, Tatsuki, Mizuiro, Keigo, and I, all free-falling towards the ground. Somehow, I was able to hear Nee-chan's call over my screams of terror. "Jesa, calm down! Jesa! Jesa, please!" she pleaded. "Jesa, if you don't calm down, I'll have to-"

I couldn't calm down, though, and what Nee-chan would 'have to' do, I couldn't tell. I'm not scared of heights, nor of high speeds, as long as I feel secure, like on a roller coaster. But I was free-falling with no harness, no parachute, no technique like shunpo, nothing at all to slow my descent. Put simply, I. Was. _Freaking. _Out. Suddenly, I felt like I had been jerked backwards, and then I fell flat on my back onto a trampoline.

* * *

A/N: *sighs in relief* I finally broke through that blasted Bakudo Infinity: Writer's Block! Sorry it took me so long, but I don't have nearly the same level of reiatsu that Ichigo has.

Thanks to my beta reader, Apocalyxtic98, for her help, including the suggestion that I extend the scene involving Urahara's fan. ^_^

Also, thanks to Anjel Kitty for catching a couple little mistakes, and for letting me join her for lunch.

God bless!


	13. Interlude

Previously on _Bridge the Gap, Kyoukan!_

Jesa realizes that the upcoming adventures aren't likely to follow the plot of any of the arcs she is familiar with. She is close to tears from thinking she won't be of much help to Ichigo-tachi, but Orihime comforts her and reminds her that just because she can't help the way she thought she should, doesn't mean she can't help at all. Renji explains his mission, which leads to Jesa cheering about visiting the Soul Society. Urahara pulls out his fan, and Jesa asks Rukia to sokatsui it into oblivion in return for a Chappy plushie.

After the meeting, Jesa sends her mom a text saying she's having a 'sleepover' with Rukia and her friends. She realizes that her mom would worry if she couldn't reach Jesa since their phones aren't trans-dimensional. The only extra soul pager Urahara has at the moment is a recently-completed prototype of what is best described as a fusion of a standard soul pager and a smart phone. Soon after, in Urahara's basement, Rukia and Renji leave their gigais, Yoruichi morphs into her cat form, and Ichigo leaves his body by putting Kon in control. Ichigo asks Urahara to keep an eye on his sisters while they are gone, since Kon is coming with them to Soul Society, he declares.

On the way to the Soul Society, they are chased by that which no trip through the Dangai is complete without: the Cleaner. When they make it out, Jesa freaks out because they are free-falling towards the Rukongai and she has nothing to slow her rapid descent. Not even Nee-chan can calm her down. Suddenly, she feels like she's been jerked backwards, and she lands on a trampoline.

* * *

Chapter 13: Interlude

I lay there on that trampoline until I caught my breath. How long that took, I don't know, but when I finally sat up, I was in my inner world. But I couldn't see my power spirit, and somehow I knew she wasn't in my inner world at all. Then I had a flashback of her telling me not to go looking for her in others' inner worlds, like an anime character remembering the advice of a mentor. 'And in a way, that's exactly what happened!' I thought with a smile. 'I seem to have become a character in Bleach, so...'

Then I remembered what led to this moment. "Nee-chan?" I called. "Where are you, and why am I in here?"

"Open up Skype on the laptop," her disembodied voice replied. "That should answer at least the first question."

"Huh? Skype? How would that help?" I asked, but I got off the trampoline and started toward the laptop anyway.

"You'll see," Nee-chan replied mysteriously.

I sighed as I sat down at the desk and clicked on the Skype icon. When it opened, a notice box popped up. "Start a call to 'JJ'," it said. I wondered how Nee-chan had set this up and why she wouldn't just answer my questions directly, but I figured I'd find out faster by just going along with it than by questioning her about it.

The 'call' connected after about two seconds. But instead of seeing a single face up close, I saw a bunch of faces, most of them my friends', and my first appreciable glimpse of Soul Society outside fanart and published Bleach material: the training room in Shiba Kukaku's house. When the scene shifted, realization dawned on me. What I saw on the screen was what I would be seeing if I were in my body, rather than my inner world.

"Nee-chan! You're in my body, aren't you?" I accused.

"Yes, Jesa, I am," her voice confirmed. "But would you rather I had let you crash and break a bone or something? You weren't responding when I tried to calm you down, so I took control so we could land safely. There was no time to consider other options." I heard a sigh, and then my power spirit continued. "Jesa, I know I should have asked for permission first, but-"

I cut her off when I recognized what she was doing, i.e. making a mountain out of a molehill. "Nee-chan, I'm not mad. I mean, I guess maybe I was at first, but I'm not now. You explained your reasons, and I see nothing to complain about." I shrugged. "Besides, it's not like you're trying to take permanent control."

"About that," Nee-chan said, oddly hesitant. "Well, Ichigo and the others were worried when I told them who I am and where you were. Rukia in particular keeps giving me wary glances."

"I see. She already worries about Ichigo keeping Shirosaki under control, especially considering what happened to Kaien way back when, so it's understandable that she'd be cautious. I'll come out and talk to her, tell her you aren't a threat, that I trust you." I started to stand up to head to my door, but I paused as a thought crossed my mind. "Rukia's the one who suggested coming here, isn't she? She knew the Shibas would understand her concern with our situation." I got the impression of a nod from Nee-chan as I walked over to the door that led to control of my body.

* * *

As I switched places with Nee-chan, multiple heads turned to me, particularly Ishida's, Orihime's, and Rukia's. "Um, hi," I began uncertainly.

"Jesa-chan, right?" Orihime asked. "You're back?"

I gave a definitive nod. "Yes, Orihime-chan, I'm back. I'm fine." I faced Rukia and bowed, hoping she would recognize my gesture of sincerity. "Rukia-san, Nee-chan told me you were particularly worried when she took control. I apologize. I freaked out when I started free-falling, and since Nee-chan couldn't get through to me, she took control so I didn't get any broken bones or whatever from crashing. I trust her, so please don't be too harsh with her if she shows up again." I paused, wondering if I should say more, perhaps indicating more specifically that I knew what had happened with her and Shiba Kaien when the hollow took over his body, but then there was a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and felt the turmoil I could see in Rukia's eyes. Pain. Fear. Guilt. Worry. Sorrow. I held her gaze, and then I started to see and feel her hope. I nodded slightly, not breaking eye contact. And then I felt her relief and saw her mouth twitch up just a little, the start of a smile. I pulled her into a hug, making no comment when her silent tears dampened my shoulder.

* * *

A/N: This chapter is currently unbeta'd, so if you see a mistake, be it grammar or spelling errors, OOC-ness, or something else, please let me know and I'll do what I can to fix it. This applies to my beta'd chapters, as well, but I'd especially appreciate it for this chapter.

I apologize for the shortness of yet another chapter, but whether I take the time to write the next scene I have in mind or skip over it depends on how my readers respond to my question: Do you want/like scenes where Jesa learns more about her Kyoukan and how it works, or would you prefer explanations of her powers and such in the author notes when she uses a new effect, or would you prefer some other method? I don't plan on there being a large number of special powers, though. Off the top of my head, I can think of only a half dozen or so, most of which have at least been touched on so far.

I'm asking because, while I know it's my fic and I can do pretty much whatever I want with it, I value my readers' opinions. I'm writing the fic because I enjoy doing so, but a large part of that enjoyment comes directly from knowing that others enjoy reading it.

God bless!


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